Chelsea adopt bizarre training tactic as they try and combat Arsenal this weekend
Arsenal face their toughest test of the season so far this weekend as they take on Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.
The Blues have been one of the most exciting watches in the league so far having beaten Fulham 3-2 and then Brighton 4-3 as new manager Alonso releases the shackles.
As for Arsenal, it’s been a more conservative yet equally effective start to the campaign, with four goals scored and none conceded.
As always, Arsenal’s defence has been rock solid, even without William Saliba.
And with the Gunners set to once again adopt their physical approach to defending and their play in general, Chelsea have now got involved in some ‘different’ training methods to try and combat this.
Chelsea using rugby training methods as they prepare to face Arsenal
Teams have tried a number of different ways to stop Arsenal in the last few seasons but when it comes to set-pieces, few have managed it.
Arsenal are the best in the league both in terms of attacking and defending from set-plays, with Nicolas Jover at the centre of it all.
However, Chelsea have now been spotted taking a leaf out of rugby’s book as they prepare. Shared by Sky Sports, the Blues stars have been putting themselves through some pad work, much like in rugby and the NFL, as they get ready for a tough battle in both boxes.
Chelsea are taking preparation to another level… 🏉⚽️
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 4, 2026
The Blues have been using rugby tackle bags in training to get ready for the physical battle against Arsenal at the Emirates this Sunday. 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/6OzyS25hcW
Xabi Alonso, much like Mikel Arteta, is a man of detail and is always willing to try different things to gain those extra percentages.
Of course, we’ve seen with Arteta that it’s something he does as well. Over the years we’ve seen him employ crowd noise, implement brand new drills, and give different analogies as he tries to get his team onside.
Quite whether this will work out for Chelsea, remains to be seen. But once again, it shows other teams are worried about the Gunners more than we are about them.
